Personal Financial Planning

Personal

Financial Planning

“As we go through life, we reach different milestones, each of which we need to plan financially for. That’s what Cornerstone specialises in – helping our clients plan ahead to achieve life’s goals.”

“At Cornerstone, we pride

ourselves in offering a professional and all-encompassing service.”

Suite

of services

There’s little point in saving for your child’s school fees but doing nothing to plan for your retirement, or carefully planning ahead for long-term care costs but leaving your estate at the mercy of Inheritance Tax.

Cornerstone’s experienced and highly-qualified advisers are able to give advice on a wide range of services.

This brochure has further details on: ▲ Financial planning lifecycle ▲ Saving for the future

▲ Family protection ▲ Investment planning ▲ Retirement planning ▲ Estate planning

STAGE 1:

WEALTH CREATION

STAGE 2:

STAGE 3:

20 30 40 50 60 70 80+ Age

?

BUDGETING AND SAVING

ESTATE & TAX PLANNING

SAVING & INVESTMENT FAMILY PROTECTION

RETIREMENT PLANNING

Family Maturity

Young

Adult DevelopmentFamily Retirement

Family Formation

Financial

planning lifecycle

Your key financial considerations when you’re in your 20s will, undoubtedly, be significantly different to when you’re in your 60s. Your priority as a young, single person might be to save for a deposit on your first home. As you settle down your priority might be to upsize to a bigger property and start a family.

The next big milestone might be waving your children off to school or university – with the financial burden that a good education can bring. As your kids leave the nest, you are likely to reach a stage in life when you have fewer financial commitments, but, as retirement beckons, have you saved enough throughout your working life to fund the retirement you desire?

At Cornerstone, we can help you manage your wealth through each stage of the financial planning lifecycle to ensure you get the most out of your finances – and your life.

Saving

for the future

Saving for the future – be it for a rainy day or your child’s education – is important. With so many different options to choose from, which is the best for you?

None of us can predict with absolute certainty what the future holds, but we can at least prepare ourselves financially for many eventualities. When you know you have money set aside, and working hard for you, it gives you and your family added financial security. When you meet with your Cornerstone advisor for the first time, we will ensure we get to know your aims and objectives for the future. Do you simply want to put money aside for a rainy day or do you need to save for a specific purpose, such as ensuring your child has the best possible start in life? With private school fees costing several thousand pounds per term, it is important that you plan early; starting to save when your child is still a baby can make a big difference.

Saving for the future involves a few simple steps. At Cornerstone, we will help you budget and recommend the plan that best suits your personal circumstances, whilst being as tax-efficient as possible.

“At Cornerstone, we will help you budget

and recommend the plan that best suits

your personal circumstances, whilst being

as tax-efficient as possible.”

Cornerstone are independent and advise on an unrestricted range of investment products. Your savings plans could include:

▲ New individual savings accounts (NISAs) ▲ Collective investments

▲ High-interest cash savings accounts ▲ National Savings & Investments products

Of course, there are many more good reasons to start saving for the future. Whatever you want to plan for, come and speak to Cornerstone.

The value of investments and income taken from them can fall as well as rise. You may get back less than the original amount of your investment.

Family

protection

At Cornerstone, we can provide for the future wellbeing of you and your family should one of life’s more unfortunate incidents occur. No-one likes to contemplate the worst, but events like serious illness, incapacitation and unemployment can often strike without warning.

With the appropriate protection in place you’ll have the comfort of knowing that you and your family are financially protected against premature death, critical illness and redundancy.

Private health provision has also become more commonplace in recent years. Not only does it give you access to the best possible healthcare, but it also affords a greater degree of medical choice and speed of response.

Your family protection plan could include: ▲ Life assurance

▲ Critical illness cover ▲ Income protection ▲ Healthcare cover

Careful consideration should be given to the type of policy that meets your needs. We will guide you through the range of options available offering advice on the solution that best suits you and your family.

We will work with you to assess your financial commitments to ascertain the level of income you would need to live comfortably should you be unable to work. We will then search the market for the most competitive protection solution for your circumstances.

“Everyone likes to feel protected. If your family depends on you financially, the

Investment

planning

Whether you’re investing for the short or long-term, it pays dividends to consider all your options.

When it comes to investment, we all have a different attitude to risk and return and a wide range of objectives.

At Cornerstone, we can accurately assess and agree your appetite for risk, investment goals and timeframe, and devise a suitable investment plan.

We are committed to helping you meet your objectives, both short and long-term. Whether your aspirations are small or grand, we will create a straightforward strategy that will help you to achieve them.

We will then offer advice on how best to manage your assets, taking into account your own circumstances and tax position.

Your investment plan could include:

▲ New individual savings accounts (NISAs) ▲ Unit trusts and OEICs

▲ Investment trusts ▲ Offshore investments

▲ Discretionary fund management ▲ High-interest cash savings accounts ▲ National Savings & Investments products ▲ Structured products

▲ Alternative investments

In the world of investment, nothing stands still. We closely monitor investment markets and the wider economy and tailor our advice accordingly. We also continue to monitor the performance and suitability of your investments, providing on-going advice with the aim of ensuring your changing needs and objectives are always met.

“Whether your aspirations are small or grand, we will create a straightforward strategy that will help you to achieve them.”

The value of investments and income taken from them can fall as well as rise. You may get back less than the original amount of your investment.

Retirement

planning

At retirement, time becomes your own. No more deadlines. No more office politics. Just lots of time to do whatever you please. But before this dream becomes reality, you need to plan well – and plan early.

At Cornerstone, we can help you put in place a plan that is designed to help you achieve your ideal retirement. We’ll talk to you to find out what you want to achieve from your retirement and, crucially, when you’d like this to begin. We’ll appraise any existing benefits you have accumulated and evaluate your tolerance to investment risk.

Once we’ve assessed all of this information we will work towards setting a realistic, affordable and flexible strategy to help achieve your goals.

Your retirement plan could include:

▲ Evaluating existing pension benefits, including management charges, investment performance and flexibility

▲ Utilising a range of tax-efficient investments, including new individual savings accounts (NISAs)

“A happy, prosperous retirement requires careful

planning and expert advice. At Cornerstone, we

have a specialist team with the experience and

knowledge to give you both. “

▲ Considering appropriate pension vehicles, including self invested personal pensions (SIPPs)

▲ Ensuring provision is made for a partner or financial dependant.

Putting in place a strategy is just the start. Ensuring that your retirement plan is reviewed on a regular basis is critical to its long-term success.

Not only have successive governments made changes to pensions legislation, but investment markets and your own personal circumstances also fluctuate over time. This is why we believe a structured review process should be a fundamental part of any retirement strategy.

When the much anticipated day comes when you finally hang up your hat, we’ll be well placed to advise you on the best ways of making the financial transition from working life to retired life.

The value of investments and income taken from them can fall as well as rise. You may get back less than the original amount of your investment.

Estate

planning

Advance planning can significantly reduce the amount of inheritance tax payable on your estate. Speak to one of our advisers to discover how you can minimise your heirs’ inheritance tax burden.

Inheritance tax was once the preserve of the seriously wealthy, but this is no longer the case. Inheritance tax is levied at 40% on total worldwide assets over the nil rate band (£325,000 at present for a single person) and is a growing concern for many people.

However, unlike many other taxes, there are numerous ways to minimise your liability and ensure you pass on as much of your wealth as possible.

At Cornerstone, we evaluate your assets to determine the value of your estate. Should this exceed the current threshold – or if it looks likely to in the future – we will work with you to put together a plan that will allow you to pass as much of your estate as possible to your loved ones and minimise the tax take.

Your estate plan could include: ▲ Reviewing your wills ▲ Using simple family trusts

▲ Utilising a range of reliefs, allowances and exemptions ▲ Making gifts

▲ Life assurance

“At Cornerstone, we evaluate your assets to determine the value of your estate. Should this exceed the current threshold – or if it looks likely to in the future – we will work with you to put together a plan that will allow you to pass as much of your estate as possible to your loved ones and minimise the tax take.”

Long-term

care planning

Growing older and being unable to look after ourselves isn’t something we like to contemplate. However, statistics show that a third of men and a fifth of women over 65 will need some form of long-term care.

We are all living longer these days, but we are also more likely to need some form of independent care. Many people think the government will pay for their long-term care, but this is not always the case. Any state support will depend on your level of income and the assets you own.

Care can prove expensive. However, careful forward planning can make good long-term care more affordable.

Cornerstone can help you make the best provision for your own long-term care or for a spouse or family member. We can talk you through the wide range of options available and help put in place a bespoke plan for you.

Your long term care plan could include: ▲ Rearranging assets to provide income ▲ Immediate care plans

▲ Asset protection ▲ Family trusts ▲ Gifting assets

It is prudent to consider long-term care planning as you approach retirement. However, every situation is unique and we are happy to discuss long-term care planning irrespective of your age and requirements.

Long-term care and estate planning are inextricably linked, so professional advice should be sought on both simultaneously.

“Cornerstone can help you make the best provision for your own long-term care or for a spouse or family member. We can talk you through the wide range of options

Cornerstone Asset Management LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate tax advice, trusts, will writing, national savings or some forms of offshore investment.

Cornerstone Asset Management LLP is registered in Scotland (SO302894). Registered office - Exchange Tower, 19 Canning Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EH.

EDINBURGH OFFICE:

Cornerstone Asset Management Exchange Tower, 19 Canning Street, Edinburgh EH3 8EH

Tel: 0131 514 2770 Fax: 0131 222 9800

GLASGOW OFFICE:

Cornerstone Asset Management Cornerstone Building, 5th Floor

107 West Regent Street, Glasgow G2 2BA

Tel: 0141 410 1085 Fax: 0141 221 5800